Remote first vs Hybrid: A huge difference
There’s a major difference between a remote-first company and a hybrid company: an office. With a hybrid company, it brings in so many differences that you might as well be comparing working in an office to working remote.
🌎 Remote-first Workplaces
A remote-first workplace is one where employees are primarily working remotely, with little or no expectation of being physically present at an office. Usually, there is no office and the business is working from a virtual address.
Advantages
Cost savings. Remote work can lead to cost savings for both the employees and the employer, as there is no need to commute and less need for office space.
Consistency in approach. everyone is remote, so communication expecations all revolve around working virtually.
Everyone’s in one place. With everyone at home, the only way to communicate is using the company channels and internal tools. No one will miss anything unless they’re left out.
Disadvantages
Lack of in-person collaboration. Working remotely can limit the opportunities for face-to-face interactions with colleagues, which can negatively impact collaboration and communication.
Difficulty separating work and home. When working from home, it can be harder to separate work and home life, which can make it harder to focus on work during work hours. It’s easier to burn out this way.
Limited sense of community. Being remote can make it harder to build relationships with colleagues and create a sense of community within the workplace.
👯 Working on a Hybrid schedule
Working on a hybrid remote/office schedule means that you split your time between working remotely and working in an office. This can involve working from home a few days a week and coming into the office for the rest of the week, or it can involve working from home for a set number of hours each day and coming into the office for the rest of the day.
Advantages
Increased flexibility. Working on a hybrid schedule can allow for a better balance between work and personal life, as you have the ability to work from home and take care of personal responsibilities or pursue outside interests.
In-Office productivity. Despite which side of the WFH vs Office productivity debate you fall on, working in an office allows for face-to-face interactions with colleagues, which can lead to more efficient and effective collaboration. Sometimes, that can lead to miscommunication, but there’s no doubt it’s more efficient when you can go out for dumplings with the CEO at 7pm because for some reason you’ve been convinced that watching the sun set from the office means you’re #hustling.
Disadvantages
Commuting and limited flexibility. Getting to an office, even 2-3 days a week, can be time-consuming and stressful, and can eat into valuable time that could be spent on work or personal activities.
Office politics and communication issues. It’s easier to brown nose in person, and for miscommunication to happen between the office side chats, and the wider online team.
Cost. Imagine having to pay for the worst parts of the model: The WFH uncertainty and lack of transparency, AND rent and snacks and utilities and subway passes to an office?
Impact on Productivity
Obviously it all depends on how your company implements policies, because any kind of schedule can be more or less productive depending on the individual.
While remote-first workplaces allows for increased flexibility, reduced commute time and cost savings, a hybrid schedule allows for in-person collaboration, alignment and accountability that working remotely does not.
Choose wisely!
